Proposal Development

Research Development Services (RDS) can help you as you explore, design, and prepare your grant applications. Our services are designed to meet the unique needs of researchers across disciplines and career stages.

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Services for Researchers

  • Grant Planning: Develop a long-term grant strategy with RDS help, creating a clear roadmap for funding for each stage of your career.
  • Funding Searches: Learn to navigate the online funding database (Pivot) with individual training from RDS, and read the weekly OVPRI Funding Opportunities Newsletter to find announcements and opportunities for funding. 
  • Navigating Submissions: RDS can help you interpret funding guidelines to develop competitive submission materials based on funder requirements. 
  • Proposal Critique: From simple copy-edits to multiple-iteration reviews, RDS helps ensure grant applications are well-organized, clear, persuasive, and directly address funder requirements. 
  • Project Management: For large institutional grants (e.g., centers, graduate training), RDS can support your application by providing a high level of coordination and project management, such as gathering collaborators' materials, tracking proposal components and versions, and coordinating support letters. Please review our Complex Proposal Intake Form and reach out to RDS to discuss support as soon as possible.
  • NIH Academy: This cohort-based training provides early-career researchers support and resources to improve their chances of receiving a large research grant from the National Institutes of Health. Learn more about the program on the NIH Academy webpage.

 Important Proposal Development Policies and Procedures

Resource

The open-access book below discusses how to become more productive earlier in their career. Topics include public perceptions of scholarly work and its use in policy; understanding the big picture of funding and national priorities as well as identifying funding sources; research methods; collecting data and materials; writing grant proposals; publishing results; ethical conduct; bias and peer review; intellectual property and compliance regulations; partnerships and collaboration; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the future of research.

Demystifying the Academic Research Enterprise: Becoming a Successful Scholar in a Complex and Competitive Environment

By: Kelvin K. Droegemeier